DANCE
by Sushifishie
Summary: Its own history leaves a village in great peril--and the only one who can save it is the young, recluse Kira. As a boy and his twin brother try to pry her out of her shell, the rest of the community prepares for their adulthood trial--the DANCE.
1. Part One

DISCLAIMER:  Standard disclaimers apply to this fanfic in its entirety.  I'm too tired to come up with anything witty right now. . .

DANCE by Sushifishie

 Part One****

The predator took in a deep, silent breath, waiting for the perfect timing.  Gulping, he watched from his crouch in the brush next to some cabins.  It was almost time to make his attack.  He was a vicious predator stalking his prey—a lion ready to pounce.  His time was coming.  It was soon.

            To succeed in his task would make his life complete.  If his victim would fall, then he would have purpose.  If his mission failed, he would be banished to the wilderness until his death.  But that would not happen.  His scheme was too creative, too cunning.

            The victim came into his sights just a moment later.  Only another second he had to wait.  As the victim turned his back, the murderer got ready to attack.

            He jumped.

            He knew he was successful.  His entire life flashed through his eyes in a matter of seconds, and his new beginning was certainly upon him.

            Hands clasped around his neck.

            The mission failed.

~*~DANCE~*~

Ever so quietly, Rei crept out from behind his small hut in the very center of the Village.  Grinning maniacally, he sneaked into the trees just behind his home.  Escape was close, almost inevitable.  Letting out a little laugh, he picked his way through the mushrooms and finally reached the muddy path a little ways into the wood.

            It was very dark.  Although the entire village would be awake in a matter of seconds, he needed to get out before the first strike of dawn.  Dawn meant morning.  Morning meant waking up.  Waking up meant chores.  There was no way Rei was going to stick around for morning chores.

            Letting his smile falter a bit, Rei remembered the turns he had spent waking up only to be forced into hard labor.  Tilling the fields and harvesting corn was work meant only for the early morning, and Rei was neither a morning person, nor a worker.  He hated to do anything that bored him, so a few moons previously; he decided to stop doing chores.

            He wasn't sure that anyone even noticed.  No had commented, at least.  He could not be sure whether that was because they hadn't noticed his absence, or because they didn't want his father to be angry with them.  Rei's father was not a person anyone wished to displease—particularly not regarding his sons.

            But, in the case of Rei, he was often displeased.  Rei's brother was always the one that was praised.  He participated in all events in the Village.  He made beautiful pottery used in banquets.  He could craft lovely goatskin vests.  He even did his morning chores.  Rei, on the other hand, did not do any of these things.  He didn't have one artistic bone in his body!  Mostly, his favorite thing to do was sleep.  When he wasn't sleeping, he was cruising the woods, sometimes with one of his friends.

            More often, though, he would be followed by a small herd of females.  There was a girl from every house who admired Kashino Rei, and most of the time, he was followed by a small cheering section.  Usually, though, he managed to ditch them.  He was quicker than most, and more athletic.

            That was a reason he always seemed to get out of the Village at chore time.  Picking up his pace, he strived to get away from his house a little quicker.  It wasn't because he was in any danger of being noticed—everyone was working too hard to notice him at this point—it was because he couldn't stand even hearing the sounds of people working.  It made him too tired.

            Licking his lips, he shortened his stride, putting him into a slow jog.  He would be away from his house in no time.  By now, he was able to run through the woods with his eyes closed—he knew them better than he knew the back of his hand (he didn't spend nearly as much time looking at the back of his hand as he spent in the woods).  That was why he was surprised when he found an alien obstacle in the middle of the mud path.

            The obstacle was short and wavy dark hair on its head.  Most people would say it was very pretty (Rei would have to agree with them), but he would never admit it.  At this point, he just wanted her out of his way—he could still hear the hoes and people working.

            "Shiori," Rei sighed, slowing to a stop, "what are you doing here?  Aren't you supposed to be working?"

            Putting her hands on her hips, she gave him a smug look and replied, "Well, aren't you?"

            Smiling, he answered, "Believe it or not, I am working.  Some lady just sent me to these woods to look for some more logs to use as firewood.  Supposedly, we ran out of it when they cooked the wild turkeys last night.  Crazy people, huh?  You'd think they would have an extra supply no matter what, right?"

            "Kashino Rei," she began, shaking a finger in his face, "you are lying through your teeth, and I know it.  Do you really think I'm going to believe you when I was just in the fire-pit, refilling the hot water jars?"

            "Yes?" Rei said, giving her a pleading smile.

            "Besides that," Shiori continued, obviously not finished with her lecture, "I also know that you've been sneaking away from morning chores for the last three moons!  You're not that careful about not being seen, you know."

            Rei grinned, "But no one has ever caught me, right?  Why should they start now?  Really Shiori, could you please move out of the way?"

            Shaking her head, she stuck her right foot in front of the other for better leverage.  "I'm not moving," she said with determination.  "You have to stop being a slacker and go back and do your chores."

            His eyes grew wide.  Shiori was never this defiant.  What was wrong with her today?  Maybe she was in a bad mood.  That was probably it.  The Shiori he knew was a backstabber of a pushover.  She was quiet, but managed to get what she wanted.  Maybe she was going about it differently now.

            Finally, Rei agreed, "Okay, fine.  You don't have to move.  I can just go off the path and walk through the woods.  But," he began as he turned away from the dirt way, "don't even think about following me.  There's no way you could keep up."

            This was obviously a challenge.  This was a challenge that Shiori was going to accept.  She was not going to let Kashino Rei show her up.

            "I could so follow," she frowned as she picked up her thick buffalo skirt.  "Look, I'm doing it right now.  See, no troubles at all!"

            For the first several minutes of hiking, this was true.  While there were large stumps and roots sticking out all over, the only real obstacle was large bunches of poison ivy that were, for the most part, very avoidable.  But soon, they came upon the creek.

            Shiori let a grimace appear on her face as she watched Rei leap across the knee deep water in his trousers.  Looking down at her skirt, she calculated that she would not be able to get across in one jump.  In a panic, she noticed that Rei was already climbing the hill on the other side, not even looking back.

            With determination, she lifted her skirt even higher and jumped.  She made it about halfway, and in one more jump, she was on the other side.  Stopping only to pull off a small leech that had clung to her thigh, she hurried on after the nearly-out-of-sight Rei.

            The hill proved to be harder than she'd originally imagined.  There were very few footholds, and it was extremely steep and muddy.  Once or twice, she slipped, causing her skirt and vest to be covered in grime that would wash out only with a hearty prayer.  But, she had perseverance and was determined not to let Rei beat her.  Although, she was quite sure by now that she'd rather be doing her banal morning chores.

            Finally, with much wheezing, she was at the top.  Not stopping to rest, she hurried off in the direction she thought she'd seen Rei go.  It was through a thick clump of trees and poison ivy again.  Once out of it, though, she was back on the path, thankfully.  Yet, even now, she continued after where she imagined Rei went.

            Breaking into a half-hearted trot, she hurried down the path, hoping to see Rei in front of her soon.  Unfortunately, the only thing that she saw was a bunny, and it didn't even stop to give her a glance.  With a sigh, she finally gave up.  Slumping down in front of a tree, she stopped worrying about how dirty she was getting and just thought about getting some water before she got too dehydrated.  She was parched!

            "Giving up already?" a voice startled her from a ways down the path.  Coming into view, Rei showed himself.

            "Rei!" Shiori groaned.  "Okay, fine, I'll admit it.  I didn't do so hot.  Okay?  You win!"

            Walking over slowly, Rei slid down and sat next to her, leaning against the tree, too.  "Actually," he said with conviction, "you didn't do half-bad for a girl!  I mean, you did a hell of a lot better than Sei ever did."

            "Well, that goes without saying," Shiori grinned, feeling a little cheered.  "But, you know, you're really good at this woodsy stuff.  I know you've had a lot of practice and everything, but I really think that you might have a good chance of winning the top place in the Quest."

            "I've always thought that, too," Rei nodded, but his face wasn't smiling.  "But, you know, I don't have all the brains.  Sei's the smart and cunning one.  I just have the dumb-boy survival genes.  Sei might actually be better off than me."

            "Well, from what I've heard, that won't matter as much.  I've heard that, in the Quest, you have to find a pearl at the bottom of a piranha-filled lake."

            "You know that isn't true, though," Rei sighed.  "It's probably going to be some knowledge test about the Village's history or something.  Then, there's no doubt that Sei would win first place."

            "Yeah, but you could always study and learn stuff beforehand.  Hey, I could even help you if you wanted me to.  I'm not that smart, but I do know my facts.  I also know who to ask for information."

            Rei cocked his head, replying, "That's actually not a bad idea.  The Quest is coming up really fast, and I don't really know what I'm supposed to prepare for.  Maybe you and me could even pry some information out of Kyoko and Akitaka!  I heard that they're preparing the Quest this year."

            "Great idea!" Shiori encouraged.  "We could meet behind on this path right here every day.  We'll study and have training exercises.  Oh!  This is going to be so much fun!"

            "Speak for yourself," Rei groaned as they began to follow the path back to the village. "I'm the one who has to complete the Quest."

            The Quest was an event that took place once every turn.  All the young men who were fourteen turns competed in a dangerous task.  It was the ritual of becoming a man.  With this coming up in a couple of weeks, it was all that anyone could think about.  Everyone wanted to get first place.

            First place was the highest honor in the Village.  Rei's father had gotten first place in his year, and he'd ended up the chief!  Shiori's father had also gotten first place, and earned a cabin close to the chiefs.  Others who had gotten second place were farther away, and third placers were even more.  Those fourth and under lived on the very outskirts and had to walk quite a ways to meet with the rest of the Village at gatherings, such as the meals.  It was not a good thing to earn anything under third place.

            The Quest was installed as more than just a tool for choosing cabins.  It was so much more than that.  It didn't matter how slowly or how badly a boy did, all that mattered truly was that he completed the task.  To complete the task would mean a secure spot in the Village for life.  But, to fail meant permanent eviction.  That was the lowest that anyone could go.

            There were rumors of people failing in the past, but the modern Quest creators had made the tasks less daring.  The death rate had gone down to nothing in the past twenty turns.  While some of the elders were concerned about this lack of discipline, the parents who had boys of fourteen turns were extremely grateful.  They never wanted their children evicted.  The eviction had not happened in all of Rei's life, and for this, he was encouraged.  But, he was still a little wary.

            He always knew that Akitaka and his wife, Kyoko, were daredevils.  They both liked adventure and danger.  This concerned him.  It concerned him a lot.  They were the task creators for that turn, and were not likely to go easy on the fourteen-turns.  In fact, Rei supposed they would be downright nasty.  He was a little worried.

            But, he would never let that show.  He was the almighty Kashino Rei, son of the chief, Kashino Takayuki.  He would not fail, and would not show any fear.  He would get first place—he just had to get first place.  He would not let his little brother show him up.  He would not let anyone show him up!

            Putting his worry deep within his chest, he walked to breakfast with more vigor than previously, and Shiori had to struggle a little to keep up.  He would need his energy to be his usual strong self.  First place was in his sights.  He would not let Sei win!  But most of all, he would certainly win the first Dance.

  


AUTHOR'S NOTES:  All of you are probably saying, "Sushifishie, really.  We know how quickly you update—and, to tell you the truth, you're really, really bad at it."  Yeah, I know.  I updated slowly for my last fanfic.  But, I have a solution!  See, my chapters in this fic are short enough that it will only take me one or two sittings to write them.  That means (if I'm in a good mood and feeling like I've gotten sufficient reviews) I may update as frequently as once a week!  (No promises, though, because I am taking honors classes, band, and cross country . . . oh, right—no excuses!)  Anyway, I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this story.  It's a bit—different.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, regardless!  Sorry for the short chapters, but that's how it's going to be.  By the way, what genre do you suppose this is?  Tell me if you have an opinion.

Um, if you're really confused at this point, here's a quick Village vocabulary lesson:

_Moon_:  this is both the round mass of rock in space and an amount of time.  It means about a month (taken from the period between full moons).

_Turn_:  a year (it's referring to a complete turn of the earth around the sun).

_The Village_:  the place where Rei, Sei, Kira, Shiori, etc. live.  When capitalized, it's referring to a specific Village, kind of like you would refer to Chicago as Chicago.  But when it's lowercased, it's like referring to Chicago as "city".  It's the improper noun.

_The Quest_:  a ritual of the passing of boy to man.  It is usually a task to be completed.  Failure to complete the task results in banishment.

_Witch Doctor_:  a doctor specializing in ailments regarding spirits.

Stay tuned for another chapter (and probably another vocabulary lesson, too.  Wow, this fic is really confusing, isn't it)!  Review for me please!


	2. Part Two

DANCE by Sushifishie

Part Two

She lay in her cot with her head at the ceiling, doing everything in her power to forget—forget what her life had become since that one night.  Every day, without ceasing, the memories dwelled in her thoughts.  No matter what she did, she could not forget the horrors and the pain she experienced at that time.  That one night had changed her life forever.

            Now, what was left for her?  Every day was spent the same way—in her cot, staring at the ceiling, sometimes twiddling a thumb or two, thinking of that one night in the woods.  She was going crazy and she knew it.  Everyone knew that she was going crazy, but none of them knew why.  None of them had experienced her pain.  They didn't know what it was like to feel the way she felt.  Just the thoughts drove her mad.

            Her mother was not very happy about it, either.  She did not like that her daughter was wasting her life away.  It had been three moons since she'd been out and about the village.  Although her mother had no idea what had happened to her daughter to make her personality change so drastically, she was actually getting fed up with it all.  The villagers were talking.  Rumors of abuse were circling, and they were far from the truth, but it hurt her all the same.  She had no idea how to help her daughter.

            At the beginning of the second moon of her daughter's change, the mother had taken her to see a witch doctor.  It was a dreary day, as she recalled, and had been hoping for little help with the younger one's condition, but proceeded through the encouragement of her "friends."  The witch doctor was a large woman with a beautiful bone necklace and very scant clothing.  Her hair looked like a messy nest and her teeth were whiter than anyone the mother had ever seen.  That gave her some hope.

            The witch doctor had asked her to sit down next to a pike with a single human skull at the top on a flat stone.  After sitting down, the doctor asked her to explain the problem with her daughter, who was left standing.  She wore a vacant expression that told nothing.  She just stared at the pike and let her eyes glaze over.  The mother got no help from her.

            The mother proceeded to explain the problem.  She told her the story of her daughter's transformation.

            "Kira used to be such a nice girl.  She would always do her chores and play with her friends.  Even though she didn't have very many, they were all very close and had a good time together.  I never knew that anything was wrong with her—and I don't think there was any kind of problem besides the occasional bout of teasing.  Kira always was a weak girl.

            "Anyways, about three moons ago, she said that she and her friends were going to watch the stars that night.  I agreed because I knew that group of girls very well, and I understood that they would never get into any trouble.  Of course, I don't let them visit Kira anymore.  They hurt my daughter!

            "Well, on that night, Kira didn't come back when the moon peaked, like she said she would.  She didn't even get back as it began its downward climb.  Finally, as I began getting ready for my morning chores, she walked into the hut and fell onto her cot.  Her clothes were torn and bloody.  She had cuts all over her that have just finished healing a moon later.  I asked and asked and pleaded that she would tell me what happened, but after that night, she has refused to talk to me.  I don't think that she's talked to anyone since then.

            "Oh, Doctor of Spirits, please save my daughter from the demons that possess her.  I beg that you don't let her stray into the devil's world any more than she already has.  Keep her in the world of the living and I will be forever grateful!  Just, please, somehow bring my Kira back to me.  I can't bare this any longer."

            The witch doctor had, then, thoroughly examined Kira's scrapes and bruises, putting a bit of powder here, a drop of sheep's blood there.  Finally, she took off her necklace and laced it around her fingers.  Holding her dirty hands high above Kira's head, she raised the necklace.  With a swift tug, she broke the string and all the teeth showered down over Kira's hair.  Then, she poured some oil over her hair and chanted.  She grabbed her chin and thrust it up to look at her.  Their eyes met, and the witch doctor said one word and dropped her hands to her sides.

            The mother looked expectantly between the two of them, and watched as the doctor began to clean up her supplies.  The process was over, but had it worked?  Was her daughter saved yet?

            Sighing, she dragged her daughter home, only to see that Kira flopped back to her usual spot and position on the cot.  Without saying a word, her mother left the cabin.  She had gone into the woods and cried out in despair.  Pulling her bone knife from a pocket in her vest, she jabbed it behind her head.  With a single cut, all of her pretty brown hair fell to the forest floor, leaving a head of someone mourning a death.  On that day, her mother had given up.  If the witch doctor could not save her daughter, then who could?

            Now, two moons later, she found herself the subject of rumors, and felt an urge to leave her daughter for the sake of her own image.  But, for a reason, she could not manage.  The reason was that she still loved Kira, no matter how she tried to deny it.  The reason she loved a daughter who wouldn't respond, the mother didn't know.  She just knew that she couldn't seem to abandon her.

            That was the way she'd felt for the past two moons, and with the Quest approaching at rapid speeds, her mother was in greater turmoil than before.  This was supposed to be the happiest and most busy time for girls and their mothers.  After their fourteenth turn, girls were finally allowed to be part of the Dance.

            The Dance was a sort of wife choosing ceremony for the men in the ancient days.  But, in these modern times, it was more of a courtship proposal.  After the Quest was complete, the survivors were honored by the rest of the village in a short welcoming ceremony.  Everyone but females between fourteen and eighteen turns, who had not been asked to court in previous turns, welcomed them.  Those girls anxiously waited for their welcoming.

            Finally, once the ceremony was over, the real fun began.  One by one, the girls were called by the chief to present themselves with a short single dance to show off their skills.  Then, the first place man would present himself and propose a dance with his girl of choice.  They would leave the center of the village and head to the Dance hut and wait for everyone else.  Then, the second placed man would come forward and choose his girl.  They would go to the Dance hut and wait with the first place couple.  The rest would follow in order.

            It was terrible for a girl to not be chosen in her first year.  It meant that she had even less of a chance each year following because the men would be so much younger.  After the eighteen turn, if the girl still hadn't been asked to dance, she would be banished from the Village.  This had happened in Kira's lifetime, although she tried not to think too much about it now.

            After the Dance was complete, the couples there tended to form relationships with their dance partners, and often chose to become life partners.  Those that did not used to be scorned by the other villagers, but that was a commonplace event for the modern teens, so it was no longer frowned upon.  Sometimes, Dance partners swapped with other dance partners and became life partners with different people.  But, no matter, the dance partners always had a special bond that lasted a lifetime.  The Dance was very important to the Village—almost as important as the Quest.

            But, this turn, Kira's first turn, her mother had not prepared at all.  Because Kira was inattentive and dazed, she could not teach her any sort of dance.  The Quest was in only two weeks, and she still had not gotten her dress made.  There was no way they could finish in time, even if Kira was conscientious.  But with her current state, it was impossible.

            Her mother chose to make a dress for her daughter, although it was always the girl's job to produce their own clothing for the Dance.  She felt absolutely dreadful sitting with teenage girls producing the most luxurious dresses they would ever craft.  Her mother had already been through this ordeal, but back then, she was the same age as the other girls and had married Kira's father as a result.  At that time, she had something to look forward to, but now, she knew that it was hopeless.  She feared that Kira had sunk herself into a hole so deep that she would be banished from the village.

            That day, she'd left the house after chores, just as she usually did, leaving Kira to the cobwebs and her cot.  Last she saw, her daughter was watching a spider spin its silk around a small ant.  This was not unusual, and was actually more active that Kira seemed to be, so she'd left the house in a fairly good mood.  Kira, on the other hand, remained completely unchanged.  She didn't care.

            Only Kira knew what she really thought, though.  Only Kira knew the inner workings of her mind.  Kira was the only person who understood Kira.  In actuality, she spent most days on her cot, yes, but she was not entirely inattentive to what was going on around her.  She knew what time chores occurred and understood what day was the cabin inspection.  She also knew about what was happening in the village, just by her hearing.  Gossip didn't pass by her ears, and while she was both physically and emotionally drained, her mentality thrived on this exercise.

            For instance, she knew all about the schedule for the Quest.  Katayama Akitaka and Kyoko were in charge of planning the task.  She knew the names of every single fourteen-turn boy.  There were only five that year.  There was Kashino Rei and Sei, the sons of the chief.  There was also Sei's friend Takemura, and a quiet boy named Kurasawa.  Another was a friendly boy called Tatsuya, who Kira remembered playing with as a child.  Not only did she remember the names of the boys, but several of the girls also came into her mind.  In total, she believed there were eight, but she wasn't exactly sure.  There was Rika, a beautiful girl who was in her sixteenth turn, and Harumi, who was the same age as Kira.  Another girl of fourteen turns was Shiori, but that was all Kira could remember off-hand.

            Listening to the middle aged woman talk, Kira learned about supposed couplings for the Dance, too.  The majority of them supposed that Rei win first place and ask Shiori to dance.  Next, they believed, came Tatsuya, who would obviously choose his friend Harumi.  Sei, Shuichi, and Kurasawa would be a close call, and they could pick any of the remainder of girls.  Some of the woman had matched Shuichi with Rika because they thought he seemed like "the type"—whatever that meant.

            In all the hustle and bustle, Kira almost wished that she were a part of it all.  She wasn't completely in the blue as to what her mother was planning.  Having figured out a long time ago that there was no hope, her mother had given up on her chances to be invited to Dance.  But, she'd known that a dress was customary.  Kira understood that her mother was desperate for the criticism and mockery about her to stop, so she had begun to fashion Kira's dress for her.  It was unnecessary, considering Kira didn't have a hope in the world, but she really appreciated her mother's dedication—even if it was only for personal gain.

            Upon many weeks of consideration, Kira had chosen to give a small amount of effort.  If it meant that much to her mother, she would put the past behind her for one night and try to find a suitable Dance partner.  She had been composing a dance in her mind since she was a small girl, but had forgotten everything she planned since three moons ago.

            With much effort, she managed to recall the first sixteen steps, and the rest had come back to her after a few days.  She would never get out of bed to practice, but she did think of the steps and do what she could in her cot.

            Even with her past as a barrier, Kira could do this one simple thing.  Besides, she really didn't want to have to leave the village.  Maybe Tatsuya would even remember her and ask her to Dance!

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  Well, I did not like my response too much, but I like this fanfic too much to leave it hanging.  I've got quite a bit of it written (through chapter six), so as long as I get reviews, I will post more chapters.  Hey, this chapter had Kira in it!  Be happy now, okay?  I don't quite know the pairing yet, though I have an idea.  They probably will be different from in my last fanfic because I'm one for switching it up.  I don't have all that much to say except please review for me, and thank you for reading!

Here's another vocabulary lesson!  I hope that it suits your tastes.

_The Dance_: the title of this story; a kind of couple choosing—thing, guys ask girls to Dance and are expected to hand out with them afterwards (for more information, see this chapter—it's chock full of it)

_Cot_: a sleeping unit similar to a hammock

_Dance partner_: person with whom one Dances with (see the Dance)

_Morning Chores_: hard labor tasks done before the sun rises each day


	3. Part Three

DANCE by Sushifishie

Part Three

Putting a hand to his back, Sei groaned as he stood up.  He put his basket on the ground and wiped the sweat from his forehead.  Then, he cursed his brother for leaving him with all of the chores again.  Sometimes, he couldn't believe that they were brothers.  Rei was just so self-involved!

            Sei pulled at another ripe ear of corn, wishing that the harvest would be over soon.  He hated corn the most.  Even at dawn, the sun beat down on the field workers incessantly.  It caused everyone a great deal of sweat and used up much of the water stores.  Wishing that he were as ignorant as his brother, Sei let out a little sigh.

            The only thing that kept him from keeling over at this point was the thought of Rei having fun in the woods.  It made his work only out of spite and anger.  While this was not the best way to work, he knew that it gave him extra energy.  So, he forced himself (without much difficulty) to be angry with his twin.

            "How's your section coming?" Takemura Shuichi called from about ten yards away.  "I've only got one row left, myself."

            Letting out a deep breath, Sei replied, "Yeah, I've only got a row and a half."  After thinking for a moment, he added, "Have you ever thought of how much quicker this would go if Rei would stay and help us?"

            "You'd better believe it," he snorted, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his vest.  "Imagine this:  There are about twenty of us harvesting the corn, right?  We've got ten rows apiece.  If each of us gave Rei half of one row, then," he looked over at the progress everyone had made, "we'd be finished by now."

            "Yeah, but instead, I have to toil over these beastly vegetables for an extra moon."  Sei saw the look on Shuichi's face and added, "Well, of course it's not actually an extra moon, but it does take a lot of time to finish an entire row."

            Rubbing his spine, Shuichi grunted, "It's back-breaking work, I've got to tell you.  I cannot wait until winter.  We can just eat off of the stores instead of collecting food in all of these baskets."

            Sei shuddered.  He preferred summer to winter by a long shot.  Sure, the summer meant a lot more work and sores from harvesting, but winter was trapping season.  He didn't mind eating animals—not by any means.  He had strong faith in the food chain and knew humans were carnivorous.  But, he did not like seeing dead animals before eating them.  When he was little, he thought that turkey was a lump of white, grainy meat.  Now that he was old enough to hunt, he had realized with a shock, turkey is actually a gobbling, stupid animal.  It did not, by any means, look edible.

            Plucking was the worst.  He hated to see any pain or blood.  It made him nauseous.  Thankfully, it was almost time for the Quest.  After the Quest, he would have his own profession and wouldn't need to help with general chores like the other children.  Soon, he would become an adult.

            Gathering his basket in his arms, Sei followed Shuichi out of the corn fields.  He was positively dripping with sweat.  It was rather disgusting, and he wished for a dip in the lake before breakfast.  He figured that if he hurried, it was possible that he could make it back on time.

            He explained his plan to Shuichi, and he agreed to come with his friend into the woods.  Sei always liked to have someone with him when he set off on the trails.  In a pinch, he would ask Rei for help, but only in a pinch.  Rei was the reason he was so scared of the woods.

            "Have you ever wondered where people go when they're banished from the village after they fail at the Quest or the Dance?" he had once asked Sei.  "They come into these woods.  I heard Dad talking about it one night at a Gathering.  The families were in an uproar about recent sightings of banished members lurking just outside the farthest huts.  Anyway, Dad said that he would take care of it, but I know that he didn't do anything.  I mean, what is he supposed to do about it?

            "So, there are still people hanging around.  If you ever get the feeling you're being followed, don't turn around, whatever you do!  Just pretend that you don't notice and get back to the village as fast as you can without looking nervous.  Remember, these people are vengeful about being exiled.  You do not want to encounter them.  You never know what they're going to do to you."

            Since that time, Sei had been too scared to enter the woods alone (he was cautious even when he wasn't by himself).  He had always suspected that Rei had made up the story because he knew it would scare his little brother, but it was a very frightening tale nonetheless.

            Shuichi led the way as they trudged down several different paths in silence.  They were both quite tired from that day's morning chores, which were, in truth, a bit more rigorous than usual.  A cool bath was the relief that they both needed, even if it was a bit short.

            They veered off the path and made their way down a rather steep hill.  Sei noticed that some footholds looked freshly made, as if someone had just climbed up.  Probably it was his brother, running away from his duties, he mused.  They followed the rushing brook to the point where the waters calmed and fed into a vast lake.

            The lake was in the very center of the woods, and many streams and ponds fed off of it, bringing water to the rest of the forest.  While some of the ponds were pretty clear, the most ideal spot to swim was this lake.  It had no name, but was just referred to as the lake.  Besides, it was the only lake near enough to even speak of.

            The water was very cool, having lost most of its heat in the night sea breeze.  Now, the waters were soothing to the boys' aching muscles, and they basked in its shining waters for quite a while.  They didn't talk very much—the pair was never that big on talking.  They didn't feel a need to talk of useless things.  Instead, when they did have a conversation, it was very heated—like the one they had shared about Rei just minutes before this.

            So, in silence, they sat.  But, too soon, it was time to put their clothes back on and head to the breakfast table.  Breakfast was more eventful than usual.  It was a surprise to the entire village when Rei and Shiori walked in several minutes late, covered head to toe in dirt and mud.

            Shiori's mother let out a gasp and led her away from the breakfast table immediately.  Never mind that most of the other diners were just as dirty, if not dirtier, from working in the fields.  Rei, on the other hand, grinned and waved at the attention.  He walked over to his brother with his arms swinging and sat down with a smirk.

            "Have fun with your chores?" he asked, shoveling food onto his plate like he hadn't had a bite in three days.

            Sei lifted his finger to begin a lecture, but Shuichi grabbed his wrist and yanked beneath the table.  It wasn't the time to lecture his brother, and he knew it.  Rei was inordinately cocky at the moment and wouldn't let Sei win even a petty argument.  That boy was hopeless.

            Sighing, Sei relaxed his arm and told his brother, "Yeah, it was all right.  But we have to work extra hard because the season is at its peak.  It'll be trapping season soon."

            "Yeah!" Rei exclaimed pumping a dirty fist into the air.  "You know, I hope my assignment is to be a trapper.  I don't think I like anything more than provided food for the village."

            "You don't like anything more than watching something else suffer," Sei muttered under his breath.

            Rei took no notice and grinned at Shuichi with a bit of mushroom sauce on the corner of his lip.  "Are you as scared of dead bunnies as my brother here?" he asked, gesturing at his twin, who was pushing some fish into his mouth at the time.

            Shuichi shook his head and continued eating.  He was used to the brothers arguing and teasing.  He'd grown up with them in the same age grouping.  He'd had lessons with them and spent every meal with them for the past fourteen turns.  While he was very used to it, he still didn't like it.  Even after this long, he was still uncomfortable with the tension between the two of them.

            The three boys proceeded to eat in silence, listening to what was happening around them.  A bit further down the table, a woman was complaining to a friend about her daughter.

            "I just don't know what to do," they heard her whine.  "All the other girls are getting ready for the Dance and making their own dresses, but Kira just lies in her cot all day.  I've been patient for the past three moons, but I've got to admit, I'm getting pretty fed up with it!"

            "Calm down," the woman's friend said, moving her hands in a tone-it-down motion.  "Anyone would be fed up in your place.  But you know, I'll bet Kira will come around any day now.  I wouldn't be surprised if she attracts a nice boy for the Dance, either.  I mean, she was always a good girl before—whatever happened?  She used to look forward to this, right?"

            Kira's mother looked down at her food.  She sighed, "I suppose.  Maybe I can work just a little bit longer.  I bet you are right!  She has always wanted to Dance. . ."

            "That's the spirit!" the friend said, clapping the woman on the back.

            The boys turned away, a little embarrassed.  Eavesdropping wasn't very nice, and all of them realized that.  But Rei, being the boy that he was, whispered to the other two, "Have you heard about that girl before now?"

            They both gave him horrified looks—he knew that he should not talk about others like that!  It was gossip that's what it was!  Slowly, though, they both gave slight nods.  They had heard of the girl who wouldn't come out of her hut, even for meals.

            "I didn't think that she was fourteen this year.  I saw inside her hut once, and she looked so small.  But, then, I guess she probably doesn't eat that much," Rei rambled.  "Her legs are about as skinny as my arms.  I'll bet you can see her ribs, each and every one of them."

            A boy sitting on Sei's left perked up and looked at the group.  They all knew him from classes, though they didn't know him all that well.  His name was Tatsuya, and he was friends with some of the boys looking to become full-time harvesters.  He turned directly to Rei and asked him, "Are you talking about the girl who is always in her hut?"

            Rei cocked his head and replied, "Yeah, what of it?

            "That girl is Aso Kira.  You know, that girl who was in our classes for the past fourteen years?  Remember," he prodded as Rei gave him a look of confusion, "she was always really quiet, but always surrounded by friends?"

            "Sorry," Rei apologized.  "I don't really pay that much attention.  It's not like she ever talked to me or anything."

            "I think I remember her," Shuichi spoke up.  "She was really good at art, right?  I remember making clay pots with her one time.  She was really good for such a little kid."  He paused before adding, "Wow!  That's Kira?  She was so talented, too. . ."

            Sei exclaimed, "Oh!  I remember her now!  I borrowed some dried flowers from her one time—I think when we were nine or something like that.  She was really nice, but kind of shy."

            "Yeah," Tatsuya said, a bit upset.  "She used to be one of my friends.  Well, I wouldn't exactly call her a friend, but I used to talk to her, you know?  I wish that I could do something to help her come out of her funk."

            "So do I," Shuichi agreed, looking at the ground.  He didn't really feel that much like eating anymore.

            Rei huffed, "Well, I don't.  If she has such a bad problem that she can't even talk to anybody about it, then it's probably something that she has to work out herself.  It probably can't be solved by anyone else."

            Giving him a dirty look, Sei picked up his bowl.  "Well, I guess I'll just work extra hard on morning chores to make sure her part is completed, too.  We wouldn't want anyone to go hungry," he glared, giving Rei's heaping bowl of fish a pointed look.

            After he put his bowl at the food table for the cooks to wash later, he walked out of the hut.  He made his way over to the fire pit and sat down at one of the log benches.  He sniffled, letting a single tear roll down his cheek.  It wasn't fair that Rei didn't have to help with chores!  It definitely wasn't fair that he was the one that Shiori liked best.

            Letting out a sigh, he wiped the tear off of his cheek.  Turning around, he got up to walk to the art cabin for free time.  Then, he saw in the window of one of the huts.  There, standing and dancing, was Kira.

  


AUTHOR'S NOTES:  Okay!  I'm posting, like, once a month, but that's all right.  When I have more free time (like after the play is over) I will update twice as often.  If I don't make the volleyball team, then it will be three times as much . . . but still pray that I make the team. ^^  Does anyone read my author's notes anyway?  Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far—you guys make my day!  That's why I'm still posting this story online rather than keeping it to myself for personal gratification.  Happy Saturday!


	4. Part Four

DANCE by Sushifishie

Part Four

"But, Mama," Shiori whined, struggling to break free from her mother's tightly clenched hand.  Her wrist was beginning to ache from the pressure.  She glared something fierce and allowed herself to be pulled away from the dining cabin, where everyone in the community watched with critical stares.

            Finally, outside the building, Shiori's mother released her wrist and brought her hands to rest on her daughter's shoulders.  Looking at her with stern eyes, the mother asked, "What in the world made you think that you could skip out on your chores, young lady?"

            Taking in a deep breath, Shiori braced herself for impact.  Her mother did not like the boy she was with.  "I went to look for Kashino Rei, you know, the chief's son?"

            "Shiori," her mother warned, "I've told you time and time again about that boy.  He's not someone you should be hanging out with.  He skips his chores and other events, doesn't contribute anything to the Village besides mockery and disrespect, and has less wit than that of a two-turn-old.  If you've gotten yourself a promised Dance. . ."

            "I haven't, Mama," Shiori stressed.  "No one has promised a Dance with me yet.  You know that's against the rules anyway."

            Shaking her head, her mother continued, "Don't think I don't understand what you children are up to these days.  I know that you'll break any rules you can get your hands on."

            "Okay," Shiori said, turning away from her mother and beginning to walk back into the dining cabin.

            She was brought to a halt when her mother yelled, "I'm not through with you yet, young lady.  There's also the matter of why you're so dirty.  It's not right for a girl of your status to get so dirty!"

            Sighing, Shiori explained, "I just took a little hike through the woods, okay?  It's not like I rolled around in the mud or something foolish like that!"  Although, she added silently, I suppose I did roll in the mud on that hill more than once.

            "Okay," her mother finally conceded, "I can live with that, I suppose.  But, honey, just answer me one thing," she began, giving the shorter girl a look of sadness.  "Why did you do it?"

            This was a question that even Shiori didn't know the answer to.  She hated running through the woods!  Her preferred activity, by far, was to make beautiful clothing in the arts cabin.  Maybe her reason was to become one step closer in making Rei her Dance partner.  Maybe that was the reason for her sudden eagerness to prove herself a few hours ago.  But, whatever it was, she had to make up a quick answer to her mother.  She was looking rather disturbed at the thought of her spending time with Rei.

            She coughed to buy and extra second and lied, "I was feeling a little bit fat.  You know, the dress I'm making for the Dance is pretty form-fitting, and I thought I needed exercise.  The most obvious person to show me the woods was Rei, and I knew he would be able to lead me without any fault.  Sorry, Mama, but he was the only person I could think to ask at the time!"

            "I suppose it's all right then," her mother replied, running her fingers through her graying hair.  "I can certainly understand the woes of wearing a form fitting dress.  Goodness knows that it was a reason that your father chose me to Dance with him."

            Shiori smiled, happy that her mother was forgetting about Rei in the midst of her reminiscence.  Not wanting to make her remember, she kept her mother talking as she was led to their cabin to change into cleaner clothing.  They passed the Gathering spot, and Shiori noticed Sei sitting on one of the logs.  Breakfast wasn't over yet, was it?  She'd have to ask him what he was doing there when she got to the art cabin for free time.

            Tuning back in to her mother, Shiori heard her say, ". . .and I swung my arms, like so," she volunteered a motion, "and I could see your father's eyes on me.  Of course, it's not proper to make eye contact with any one man, but I did for just a second.  That was when I knew he would choose me.  I didn't even really know him—in my day, they kept the boys and girls more segregated then they do now—but even so, he still picked me to Dance.

            "That just goes to show you the importance of having not only a good performance, but also a lovely dress, too.  I'll admit, before the Quest, I found myself doing more activities to lose extra pounds, too."

            Smiling, Shiori followed her mother into the cabin and picked out a dress made of goatskin.  It was a size too small—it had been her summer clothing last year—but she knew that she wouldn't get her other outfit back for another day.  It needed to be washed and dried.

            "The boys are so lucky, having two outfits for every season.  Imagine that, Mama," Shiori said idealistically, "imagine me having four outfits every turn.  Think of all the beautiful beads I could add.  Wow, I could look so pretty."

            Her mother shook her head, knowing that she should disapprove, but she knew exactly how her daughter felt.  "Daughter of mine," she warned with a grin, "be sure not to get too vain.  It is not proper for a lady.  You must know your place."

            Looking up from her dressing, Shiori saw that her mother was smiling.  She let out a little laugh, and her mother joined in.  They were interrupted by the sounds of people leaving the breakfast cabin.  They heard the gruff voices of men, heading off into the woods to hunt.  They heard the fisherman loading up their fishing poles and taking their extra hooks.  They could even pick out the distant child calling to a friend about what they would do for free time.  Needless to say, breakfast was over.

            "Thank you for the help," Shiori said, taking a step out of the cabin.  "I really appreciated it."  After she was already gone, she back-tracked a couple of steps and added, "Especially the story.  I love that story."

            Picking up her skirt, which was shorter than she imagined when she'd put it on, she hurried to the craft cabin.  When she walked in, she took a deep breath.  It was the best smell she could imagine.  This was her favorite place in the entire Village.  It always smelled of something wonderful—clay, flowers, and charcoals—anything that was used in art.

            Today, she decided to spend her free time on her dress.  She had been doing that a lot lately.  She was very impatient for the Dance to arrive.  Her deepest desire at the moment, save Dancing with Rei, was to show off her beautiful dress in front of the entire community.  It was truly a thing of beauty, she thought as she pulled it's lovely leather off of a wooden shelf used for keeping projects.

            Currently, it was completely sewn together.  She'd spent almost four months getting it perfect.  The stitches were even for the most part, and on some parts, there were little flowers and plants.  Today, she decided, she would add some fringes to the sleeves.

            She pulled the dress over to one of the wooden tables and took her seat in her normal position.  Across the room was usually one or two of the other girls who also wanted the best for their dress, but no one else appeared to be there today.  She wondered why.  She usually had Shuichi and Sei to sit across from her, and once in awhile, even talked to them.  But, even they seemed to be gone.  Maybe she had been mistaken, and breakfast hadn't really let out yet?

            A bit puzzled, she stood from her seat at the long, wooden bench and spread her dress over the table, careful not to let any part of it touch the ground.  Then, she stepped over to the door and peered out of the cabin.  She saw the usual crowd coming her way, but there was no Shuichi or Sei to be found.

            She looked the other way down the path and was startled to see Shuichi standing next to her.  He was leaning against the door jamb, and appeared to waiting for someone.  Probably Sei, Shiori mused.

            Shuichi brought his head up, and he jumped a little when he saw Shiori looking right back at him.  He asked her, "You haven't seen Sei since breakfast, have you?"

            At the mention of breakfast, she heard her stomach give a little rumble.  She wouldn't be able to eat until lunchtime!  She wished that she had moved faster so that she could have at least gotten a handful of nuts or something to tide her over.  Maybe, if she begged at the kitchens, one of the women there might hand her a piece of fruit or some other such item.  Actually, that wasn't such a bad. . .

            "Shiori!" Shuichi called, waving his hand in front of her face.  "Remember—Sei?"

            She shook her head and put hunger out of her mind for just a moment.  "Right, sorry.  Well, I did see him a little while ago.  But, it was before breakfast was technically over.  I think he probably walked out before morning announcements or something.  Anyway, it was in the Gathering spot.  He was sitting on a bench there."

            "Great, thanks a lot," he said, shooting her a grateful glance before sprinting off to find his friend.

            Shiori sighed and headed back into the cabin.  As she suspected, her table was still empty besides her beautiful dress.  The other girls who'd come in to work had sat down at the other side of the cabin.  That's how it always was.

            Well . . . not always.  She could remember in the distant past, Shiori had lots of friends.  Back before any of the planning for the Dance began, she was surrounded by girls in the craft cabin.  She used to teach them how to embellish old or plain clothing and make it pretty.  Most of the girls, who were sitting on the other side of the room, making their dresses at present, had learned their tricks from Shiori.  They used to be friends.

            Then, the Quest had been officially announced at a dinner one evening, about six moons back.  The exact day was set, and the girls and boys in the proper age groups were encouraged to begin getting ready for that important day.  The next morning, when Shiori went to the craft cabin for free time, she was surprised to find that none of her friends had arrived.  They had all decided to avoid her.  Although they never said it straightforward, she knew the reason why.  To get a good Dance partner was more important than her friendship.  They knew that Shiori could have any guy she wanted—she was beautiful, crafty, and out-going.  But, no man would want a depressed girl for a Dance partner.  So, they'd taken friendship away to make her feel bad.

            This had a good effect for awhile.  Shiori did indeed get upset and she started to neglect her duties of making a dress and coming up with a performance.  For an entire moon, instead of going to the craft cabin, she spent her time helping out in the cooking pit.  Then, one day, she decided to see how the other girls' dresses were coming along.  She was surprised to find Shuichi and Sei sitting at her table.  Quietly, she ventured inside the cabin, receiving some dirty looks from the other girls.  She had seat at her table and ended up finishing off a necklace she'd started before leaving the cabin.

            The next day, she decided to go back.  After a week of returning, Sei and Shuichi began to greet her when she arrived.  Pretty soon, they were striking up conversations about various events in the Village.  While Shiori would have preferred female company, she was rather entertained by the two boys, and continued to sit by them.  Her dress made a great deal of progress over those four moons.  Now, though, with her friends gone, she was left to sit alone.

            Sighing, she picked up her dress and began to slice fringes at the sleeves.  She was used to solidarity by now, but it still hurt.  She thought that if the girls were going to abandon her like that, they weren't worthy of being her friends anyway.  But it still hurt.

            Underneath it all, she knew that Sei and Shuichi were the ones who were really her friends.  Especially Sei, Shiori thought with a giggle, because he was her greatest connection to his brother, Rei.

            Smiling, she began sewing the edges of her new fringes on the left sleeve of her dress.  Thinking about how she'd acted so uncharacteristically that morning, for the sake of Rei, she didn't even notice when someone sat down across from her.

            When she did notice, she was jerked into alertness.  It was one of the general cleaners of the village.  It was a woman that lived around the third place area.  Shiori heard that she was widowed.  This was not a very good social standing, and at first, Shiori was a little bit horrified to be seen sitting at the same table as this woman.

            But then, she saw the woman's face.  It was full of grief.  She looked like she was deeply troubled by something, and Shiori stopped worrying about sitting by her.  The woman looked like she couldn't handle being repellent.

            The woman noticed that the girl across from her had been staring.  She looked up with sad eyes and asked her, "Do you mind my sitting here?"

            Shiori waved her hands in front of her face, "No, no, it's all right.  It's not like I'm saving seats for anyone."

            Letting out a little smile, the woman stood from the bench for a formal introduction.  "Hello," she began, holding her hand out for Shiori to shake, "I am Mrs. Aso."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  Okay, here's the deal with this story: I am continuing it.  But, there is a catch.  I am making it a non-fanfiction (a.k.a. original fiction) work.  Because my characters are diverging farther and farther from the way the mangaka intended, I have decided to just change them entirely to how I want them to be.  While their personalities are, in reality, inspired by those in MARS, they really have little in common.  So, I am sorry to say, I am rewriting this story entirely (not just changing names, and places, etc.).  I have a plan now!

**As I wrote previously, I do have up to chapter six (and some of seven) complete.  If you wish me to post those, I would happily oblige.  And, I am not planning to put my original story on FictionPress, but if anyone wishes me to do so . . . Ha!  Right . . .**


	5. Part Five

DANCE by Sushifishie

Part Five

Kira listened, hearing only the whispers of wind rushing past the window.  She'd had enough of lying in her cot, pretending to dance her performance.  The only time when the village was deserted was for mealtimes.  She wouldn't get another opportunity like this until lunch, and by that point, her mother might be worn out enough to lay down in her cot.  No, this was the best time to practice.

            Glancing out her window, she could see that the streets were deserted.  Her window gave a direct view of the Gathering place, and she could often listen in on Village meetings.  But, for now, the benches were vacated, and not a soul was in sight.  Taking a breath, Kira decided that this was enough.  She rose to her feet and walked wobbly to the center of the cabin.

            Halfway there, only about two feet from her cot, she collapsed.  Her legs didn't hurt, they just didn't support her either.  They felt like jelly.  It had been so long since she'd used them. . .

            Determined, she put her knees on either side of her torso, bracing with her hands against the ground.  She knew that if she couldn't even walk around her cabin, there was no way she would be able to Dance.  She pushed herself to her feet, feeling rather proud when she got herself steadied.

            Now that she was upright, she decided to try the opening part of her performance.  It was a simple motion with her hands, a bit of a wave, then a spin.  It only lasted two measures, so Kira was confident that she could do this one thing without falling over.  With this confidence, she gained strength, and she took a deep breath.  She could do this!

            One—she raised her right arm so that it was straight out to the right and bent at the elbow.  Two—moving it in a complete circle, keeping only her upper arm still, she raised her left arm into the same position as the right one had been in the first beat.  Three—her right arm was still this time, and she did the wave with her left.  Four—she dropped both arms to her sides, sharply, but without slapping her legs.  Five—the right arm rested on Kira's lower back, bent at the elbow again.  Six—the left arm followed, only resting in the front above her abdomen.  Seven—her right foot crossed over the left with a pointed toe.  Eight—she gave a full turn, bringing her feet together once again.

            Letting out a deep breath, she walked unsteadily back over to her cot.  She wondered how long those eight little steps had taken her.  Was breakfast already over?  Even if she had enough energy, would she be able to do the next eight beats?  Gazing out the window, she expected to see some people leaking out of the breakfast cabin.

            She gasped.  Someone had seen her.  It was a boy.  She'd seen him before in her classes when she was younger.  What was his name—Rei?

            This was horrible.  If anyone knew that she was up and moving, they would tell her mother.  Her mother would force her to go out in public and have contact with people.  In the village, there were many people that she didn't know.  There were people that she hadn't even seen before!  How could she get this one boy to keep his mouth shut?

            Kira could see him approaching her cabin, very slowly.  Panicking, she looked frantically for someplace to hide.  If he told other people what he'd seen her doing, she would be forced into public.  She didn't trust anyone she didn't know anymore.  That night—she didn't know those people.  They scared her out of her wits, and even three moons later, she was left like this, witless.  She couldn't even keep herself from getting discovered.

            He was in the cabin now.  Kira thought that all was lost.  But, she wouldn't go without a fight.  She would have to talk to him.  Although she had not made so much as a squeak in three months time, she figured that talking was something that came naturally.  She would use her voice and convince him not to tell other people.

            Finally, this boy was looking her straight in the eyes.  Much to her surprise, he asked a question.  "Are you Aso Kira?"

            "Yes," she managed to get out in a low, hoarse, gravely voice.  Was that what she sounded like?  Immediately, she brought her hand to her throat.  It hurt a little bit.  To make sure he understood what he meant, she nodded her head.

            "I'm sorry to have intruded," he bowed, never taking his eyes away from hers, "but I couldn't help but notice your beautiful dance.  It was truly lovely."

            "Thank you," she replied, struggling to let her voice work better.  How was she supposed to convince him to keep it a secret, that she was up and moving around, without being able to talk?

            "Listen," he began, after seeing her look of horror, "the Village rules state that I'm not supposed to your performance until after I complete the task.  After all, I am a candidate this turn.  So, I'm not going to tell anyone what happened here, all right?  And, I would really appreciate it if you could keep it a secret, too.  I wouldn't like to be banished."

            "Of course," she said, letting her muscles work at the corner of her mouth.  A slight smile appeared on her normally expressionless face.

            "By the way," the boy grinned, pleased with this expression, "my name is Kashino Sei.  Do you know how to. . ." he paused for a moment, contemplating the rudeness of continuing his statement, ". . .speak correctly?"

            Kira nodded, with a bit of indignation.  Of course she knew how to talk right!  She wasn't some kind of idiot!  She explained with as much anger as her voice would allow, "I haven't spoken to anyone for three moons."

            "Well," he grimaced, having trouble deciphering what she said, "I think that you need a little more practice at it, and a lot more water, for sure."

            After giving him a little bit of a glare, she asked him, "How am I supposed to practice when I have to keep quiet?"  Already, she could feel the words rolling easier over her tongue.  Her mouth was incredibly pasty and tasted like chalk, but it wasn't nearly as gravely.  As she listened to Sei talk, she let her saliva moisten.  It felt good to talk again.

            "You'll have to practice in secret," Sei announced, seeming pleased with himself for coming up with such a great solution.

            "When?" she barked, raising an eyebrow at his lack of planning.  "And you can't expect me to talk by myself!"

            "To every one of your questions, I seem to have a solution," he replied good-naturedly.  "You can practice during morning chores, or at meals.  Now, you won't be able to get any help during morning chores, because I refuse to bail out like my idiot brother.  I will give up my meals, though, if you want me to help."

            Kira was almost as surprised as Sei at the words that just came out of his mouth.  He was going to help her talk better?  Well, there was no one else. . .  But, really!  Wouldn't someone notice if he continued to skip meals day after day without any reason?

            "I can always tell people that I'm working on a secret art project . . . a ring for whoever I choose as my Dance partner!  That's it!  When I'm in the art cabin, I could sneak some clay and make a ring, just for a prop in case someone remembers."

            Dumbfounded, Kira stared into his eyes blankly.  Here was this boy that she hardly knew.  He was asking her to let him help her relearn the art of speech, and willing to lie to the entire community in order to do so.  While she truly appreciated his kindness, was this really a natural effort for him?  Didn't he want anything in return?

            "What do you get out of it," she asked suspiciously.  Her voice was extremely clear, and sounded like a very thirsty person who did indeed have practice speaking.  It won her a smile from Sei.

            "I don't know," he trailed off, not expecting that kind of question to be thrown his way.  Feeling like he needed to respond in some way, he looked around the cabin for an object to give him an idea.  "Wait!" he exclaimed as something caught his attention.  He remembered now.  He used to see Kira in the craft cabin often.  She used to love to make pottery, and it was one of her bowls that he noticed on the floor by the door.  "I know what I want," he announced with certainty.

            "You know the ring I'm going to make?" he said, grinning with a wicked sort of smile.  His teeth were very white, Kira noted—for some reason.  She nodded in response, focusing on his mouth.  The sounds he made came so naturally to him.  How long would it be before she sounded natural again?

            Sei continued, "You could help me make the ring!  That way, it's sure to be perfect—if you work on it, Kira."

            Blushing, she covered her face in her hands.  Then, when she had faded to a dull pink, she looked up once again to find him wide-eyed and expectant.  He wanted an answer, and she had to deliver.

            "I dunno if I'm that good," she slurred, "but I'll try."  She desperately wanted to speak right.  Why?

            "Okay, that's great," Sei said, shifting toward the door.  "I'll be here tomorrow at breakfast, and I'll try to bring some clay."  He craned his ear closer to the door and heard the sounds of people talking loudly.  "I think breakfast is finished.  I better run—don't want to reveal our secret!"

            He winked, and dashed out the door, heading for his spot in the Gathering space.  She watched him sit.  She didn't know how long he stayed like that, but awhile later, his distressed friend came and found him.

            Kira watched the friend, give his shoulder a little push.  Sei stood from the bench and dusted off the back of his pants.  Together, they headed to the craft cabin.  Kira could have sworn he'd smiled at her, but she couldn't be sure.  Once she was sure they were gone, she layed back down in her cot.

            Why was it that she wanted to speak so badly?  In truth, she knew the answer.

            For the past several moons, she had been silent, wishing to protect herself from the danger she'd met in the woods.  By staying silent, in her cabin, the terrors she'd faced on that night were of no threat.  They could only haunt her in spirit, not in presence.

            Today, though, she'd finally come in contact with someone who looked at her as, not a disturbed child, but a true friend.  Sei was planning to help her, only accepting something in return when she forced him to.  He was someone she wanted to protect.  In order to protect him, her story needed to be known.  She needed to communicate to someone the dangers that the forest held.  She needed to speak.

            Rolling over onto her belly, Kira tried to get his gleaming white teeth out of her mind.  They continued to flash her a bright smile, no matter how hard she tried to get them out of her mind.  Instead of dwelling on what had happened, she should be planning out the next eight counts of her performance!  If anyone was going to believe her story, she was going to have to prove to them that she was sane.  They all believed that she was loony—oh, yes, she fully understood the rumors.  But, boy would they be wrong when they saw her perform!

            Counting in her head, she went over her first eight steps, and the next ones came naturally.  She picked up her skirt with her right hand, then her left.  She pointed her right toe and put it in front of her left.  She made a "D" movement with her right leg and brought her right foot behind her left.  She knelt toward the ground and rose again to a count of four, completing a lovely curtsey.  Oh, yes, she would show them!  Although it was just a mental exercise for now, her curtsey was sure to win her a wonderful Dance partner.

            Only now had Kira realized how tired this series of events had made her.  She was so worn out that she put her head down on the cot and rolled onto her side.  Curling into a ball, like she always did before she went to sleep, she brought herself into a fetal position.  Letting out a deep sigh, she felt her body relaxing like it hadn't for three moons.  It felt like her burden was lessened, just letting someone know that she wasn't insane.  The true story would be out soon enough.

            A small smile appeared on her face and she snuggled deeper into her cot.  Before she fell asleep, she had a last, fleeting thought.  Throughout the entire time she was talking to Sei, not once did she remember what happened in the woods that night.  And that, at least, was a relief.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  This was about the point when I noticed that this story wasn't going quite the way that I wanted it to go.  I realized about here that the story kind of sucked the way I was writing it, and I knew that I could do a much better job of portraying my thoughts.  But, I was still completely enthusiastic about using the story idea with the characters from MARS, so I continued writing it like this.  I decided now that I want to have an extremely well constructed story, with several layers and side-stories, rather than a little piece thrown together chapter by chapter, and having to come up with explanations for mistakes I made in earlier chapters.  But, still, I progressed to half-way through chapter seven, when I chose to start anew with a better and more original version of this same tale.  I will post what I have so far, but know that it won't be finished—at least not in this manner.

Again—if you want to read the new, original, and better constructed story—well, you will have to tell me so, because I do not plan on posting it on the internet unless someone strongly encourages it.

Thank you for reading my crappy and unfinished story!  Please review—I want to know how to make the real story even better than this one!


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